Today's Columns: The Rove We Don't Know

WaPo: Michael Gerson says that despite his reputation, Karl Rove is the "opposite of a cynical political operator." He "is not only a partisan for George W. Bush but the most serious, tireless advocate of Bushism," Gerson notes. He writes: In "several years as a colleague, I found Rove to be the most unusual political operative I have ever known; so exceptional he doesn't belong in the category."

Plus: Eugene Robinson on how the belief that the surge is working in Iraq was shattered this week.

NYT: David Brooks labels presidential candidate John Edwards a "culturally conservative anti-Washington liberal." Beneath "the pretty-boy exterior," Brooks writes, "there is something fierce lurking inside. It comes out in his resentment toward those born to privilege (which helped sour his relationship with John Kerry). And it drives him relentlessly upward, even in the face of illness and tragedy."

Plus: Paul Krugman on why the housing slump will be with us for years, not months.

WSJ: Harold Ford, Jr. and Jim Hall urge both parties in Washington to create a bipartisan initiative to rebuild America's infrastructure. "How many more bridges and levees will collapse, and how many more lives will be needlessly lost, before the president and Congress realize the strategic importance of investing in sound infrastructure for America's future?"

Plus: Henry Miller on why we need DDT to fight the West Nile virus.

USA Today:Raul Reyes on why educational success is eluding Latinos.

By Rob Anderson |  August 17, 2007; 9:52 AM ET
Previous: Today's Editorials: Pay for Good Grades? | Next: Today's Hot Topic: The Padilla Verdict